With the heat produced by the cogeneration plants in Moncalieri and North Turin and the waste-to-energy plant TRM, a volume corresponding to more than 57% of the total potential volume is served; thus, Turin is the most district-heated city in Italy and one of the most district-heated metropolises in Europe. More than 90% of the energy fed into the network is produced by cogeneration plants, an outstanding figure achieved through the use of heat accumulators installed in power plants and along the network. The remaining thermal energy is produced by means of integration and recovery boilers. In Piedmont, in addition to the municipality of Turin, the Iren Energia metropolitan district heating network also serves the municipalities of Beinasco, Collegno, Grugliasco, Nichelino, Moncalieri and Rivoli.
The Iren DH network
The Iren DH network
The district heating network, designed and managed by Iren Energia, is developed in the cities of Turin (metropolitan area with the municipalities of Turin, Beinasco, Collegno, Grugliasco Moncalieri, Nichelino and Rivoli), Reggio Emilia, Parma, Genoa and Piacenza, for a total of 96 million m³ heated and about 900,000 inhabitants served. Heat, in the form of hot or superheated water, is produced in modern power plants with state-of-the-art environmental and technological features. Through extensive underground pipe networks, the water reaches individual buildings and, instead of the old boilers, heats them, as well as being available for domestic hot water production.
Turin
Reggio Emilia
Parma
Piacenza
Genoa
Turin (metropolitan area)
Turin (metropolitan area)
73.2 million m³ connected
73.2 million m³ connected
726 km of double pipeline
726 km of double pipeline
650,000 inhabitants served
650,000 inhabitants served
1,930 MWt and 1,200 MWe of installed capacity
1,930 MWt and 1,200 MWe of installed capacity
Over 2,500 GWh/year of energy fed into the networks
Over 2,500 GWh/year of energy fed into the networks
Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia
The district heating system in Reggio Emilia consists of a 120°C superheated water main network and other district secondary networks at 90°C. Some areas of the city are served by a district cooling network.
13.7 million m³ connected
13.7 million m³ connected
230 km of double pipeline
230 km of double pipeline
130,000 inhabitants served
130,000 inhabitants served
290 MWt and 75 MWe of installed capacity
290 MWt and 75 MWe of installed capacity
450 GWh/year of energy fed into the networks - more than 70% of which is produced in cogeneration
450 GWh/year of energy fed into the networks - more than 70% of which is produced in cogeneration
Parma
Parma
The Parma district heating system consists of a main 120°C superheated water network and a network, which feeds the Campus area, at 90°C.
6.2 million m³ connected
6.2 million m³ connected
103 km of double pipeline
103 km of double pipeline
60,000 inhabitants served
60,000 inhabitants served
176 MWt and 18 MWe of installed capacity
176 MWt and 18 MWe of installed capacity
200 GWh/year of energy fed into the networks - more than 70% of which is produced in cogeneration
200 GWh/year of energy fed into the networks - more than 70% of which is produced in cogeneration
Piacenza
Piacenza
In Piacenza, Iren Energia has the power plant in Via Diete di Roncaglia. The network is also guaranteed by the production of heat from the cogeneration plant Levante of the A2A Group. From 2020, also available is the heat produced by the Borgoforte waste-to-energy plant.
2.1 million m³ connected
2.1 million m³ connected
30 km of double pipeline
30 km of double pipeline
16,000 inhabitants served
16,000 inhabitants served
79 MWt and 12 MWe of installed capacity
79 MWt and 12 MWe of installed capacity
approximately 40 GWh/year of energy fed into the network
approximately 40 GWh/year of energy fed into the network
Genoa
Genoa
District heating in Genoa is supplied by the Sampierdarena combined cycle plant, which is the first combined cycle plant in Italy.
3.65 million m³ connected
3.65 million m³ connected
10 km of double pipeline
10 km of double pipeline
30,000 inhabitants served
30,000 inhabitants served
71 MWt and 31 MWe of installed capacity
71 MWt and 31 MWe of installed capacity
approximately 70 GWh/year of energy fed into the network
approximately 70 GWh/year of energy fed into the network
Iren network development plans
Iren network development plans
The Business Plan to 2021 of the Iren Group envisages the development of the district heating network; in particular:
- In Turin, further development will be possible by optimising the potential of existing production plants and laying new network sections, while bringing further benefits in terms of the environment and energy efficiency. In addition, an innovative solar thermal energy production system integrated with the district heating network in the south-west of the city was inaugurated in 2022.
- Also in Turin, thanks to an important collaboration with the Company Engie, the district heating network will be further extended to reach the north-eastern area of Turin, thus serving over 70% of the city’s built-up area without building new power plants, but by activating additional thermal energy storage systems in addition to those already implemented. The Engie power plant in Leinì will produce 440 GWh of cogeneration thermal energy, which will be transported via a 6.4 km feeder to the border between Settimo Torinese and Turin. IREN Energia will extend the district heating network in the North-East area of the city of Turin to initially serve more than 1,000 buildings, totalling 25,000 apartments and about 6.3 Mm³, with further development potential in the future.
- In the Turin metropolitan area, further development and saturation of the network is planned, increasing the heat produced by the waste-to-energy plant of TRM to supply the neighbouring municipalities served. It should be noted that heat production from TRM does not increase the plant’s current emissions, as it partly replaces the electricity production.
- In Parma, consideration is being given to connecting the “Campus” island network, which feeds the district known as BF13 and the European School, with the main district heating network.
- In Piacenza, thanks also to the connection of the Tecnoborgo waste-to-energy plant, which supplies about 20 MWt, the development and saturation of the network will continue, soon also reaching the Sacro Cuore University area to the south-east of the city.
- In Reggio Emilia, the service will be expanded in the northern area of the city.
- In Genoa, the upgrading of the heat production plant is planned.
Finally, further plans to develop district heating networks in the territories where the Group operates are being studied.
Primary energy conversion and emission factors of the energy carrier district heating
Primary energy conversion and emission factors of the energy carrier district heating
IREN Energia, through its Certifying Body, certified the primary energy conversion factors calculated according to the UNI EN15316 method.
Guidelines on District Heating Iren/Order of Engineers Turin
Guidelines on District Heating Iren/Order of Engineers Turin
The Order of Engineers of the Province of Turin and Iren have published the first Guideline on District Heating entitled Thermoregulation and individual metering in systems connected to heating networks. The collaboration on this topic was set up in 2018 to foster knowledge of the entire district heating system among technicians in the sector and to address the need for in-depth interaction/integration between the district heating network and condominiums, with particular reference to the integration of existing (plant) systems with individual heat regulation and metering systems.